The President of the USA Bill Clinton officially opened the Games of the 26 Olympiad at the 85,000-seat Olympic stadium and boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who was ill with Parkinson's disease, lit the Olympic flame.

On the ninth day of the Games during a concert held in the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park a bomb explosion killed one person and injured more than a hundred people.

For the first time in Olympic history, all the recognized National Olympic Committees took part in the Olympic games.